Committee says HK good lampposts must be camera-free – Cyber Tech

Hong Kong can be searching for  different know-how options to interchange cameras on good lampposts, citing privateness issues aired by the general public. The consensus was reached this week in the course of the fifth assembly of The Multi-functional Good Lampposts Technical Advisory Advert Hoc Committee.

Authorities Chief Info Officer Victor Lam, who can be the convenor of the committee, mentioned, they’ve been doing an in depth evaluation of the capabilities and applied sciences deployed within the good lampposts prior to now few months.

“We have now  unanimously agreed that substitute know-how options for cameras, reminiscent of LIDAR and thermal detectors, must be adopted to enlist wider neighborhood assist for good lampposts in addition to good metropolis improvement,” Lam mentioned.

Members of the committee acquired briefings from officers of the Environmental Safety Division, the Lands Division and the Transport Division on substitute know-how options to particular person functions on good lampposts, along with their associated privateness safety measures.

The Hong Kong Authorities began putting in the good lampposts throughout the town this 12 months, completely about 50 by the tip of June. Nonetheless, many of those newly-installed lampposts have sustained heavy damages, after being focused for worry of surveillance amidst the protests that rocked Hong Kong for six months now.

Nonetheless, the committee agreed that the federal government ought to proceed with the good lamppost venture after taking out the cameras, notably given the rollout of 5G cell service within the close to future.

“To keep away from lagging behind, Hong Kong should catch up at full steam in good metropolis improvement. We may also proceed to open up metropolis knowledge collected by good lampposts to drive good metropolis improvement,” Lam mentioned.

The unique design of good lampposts included panoramic cameras which intention to gather real-time site visitors knowledge and site visitors snapshot pictures, and surveillance cameras which intention to observe site visitors situations and sort out unlawful dumping of development waste.

The committee proposed that each new good machine to be put in on good lampposts in future ought to undergo a third-party evaluation and evaluation to make sure compliance with worldwide privateness and safety requirements (ISO 27000 collection).

It additionally suggested the federal government ought to improve public schooling and promotion on good lampposts. It added that the federal government will solely begin set up of recent gadgets after consulting related stakeholders, together with the Legislative Council and anxious District Councils.

The Multi-functional Good Lampposts pilot scheme is a three-year programme during which some 400 good lampposts can be put in in phases in 4 districts with larger pedestrian and site visitors move, particularly Central/Admiralty, Causeway Bay/Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and Kwun Tong/Kai Tak Growth Space, with a view to selling good metropolis improvement in Hong Kong and supporting 5G cell community implementation.